Beet harvester



July 24, 1923- 1 1,462,908- C. L. GREENING ET AL BEEI HARVESTEH Filed May 24, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1' leswlgre July 24, 1923 c. L. GREENING ET AL BEET HARVESTER anvc-miiow Filed May 24 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 N Clarence L.

Patented July 24, 1923.

UNlTED "STATES 1,42,tt PATENT orricaj CLARENCE L. GREENING AND CHARLES w. GREENING, or BRECKENRIDGE, MICHIGAN":

BEET HAnvEsTEn.

Application filed May 24, 1920. Serial No. 383,833.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, CLARENCE L. GREEN- ING and CHARLES W. GREENING, citizens of the United States, residing at Breckenridge, in the county of Gratiot and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Beet Harvesters, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to beet harvesters and the primary object of the inventlon is to provide an improved means for pulling the beets from the ground and elevating the beets for permitting the same to be conveniently harvested.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved means for receiving the beets from the puller and for throwing the beets on the elevating mechanism, the means for receiving the beetsfrom the puller and for throwing the same on the elevator having means for driving the same at a relatively high rate of speedfroin the ground wheels.

A. still further object of the invention is to provide an improved beet harvester of the above character which is'exceptionally durable and efficient in use, one that is simple and easy to manufacture, and one which can be placed upon the market at a reasonable cost.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, arrangement and formation of parts as will be hereinaftermore specifically described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved beet harvester.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary horizontal longitudinal section through the beet harvester showing a plan view of the beet puller and the means for receiving the beets from the puller and for throwing the same on the elevating mechanism.

Referring to the drawings, in detail, wherein similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the sev-v eral views, the letter A generally indicates the improved beet harvester, which includes a supporting frame B having a beet puller C arranged thereon, an elevating mechanism D, and abeet receiving and throwing means 151- for throwing the beets on the elevating mechanism D.

The frame B of the beet harvester includes a pair of longitudinally extending side bars 10, which slightly converge toward their forward ends as clearly shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The side bars 10 are con-v nected at spaced points throughout their lengths by transverse cross braces 11 which serve to brace the frame throughout its en tively large ground wheels 15 which form the main support for the beet harvester.

These wheels 15 carry relatively large sprocket whccls 16 which are utilized for driving the various parts of the beet har vester and if so desired these sprocket wheels may be connected to the ground wheelsby suitable clutches so as to prevent the operation of the various parts of the beet harvester when the same is being driven to or from afield. The forward cross bar 11 supports any preferred type of draft appliance 17 which may be adjusted by a suitable lever and rack mechanism 18 which may be of, the ordinary or anypreferred construction. The

jacent to the bearings 13 have secured thereto the forwardly anddownwardly inclined substantially U-shaped frame 19, which forms a portion of the beet pulling mechanism C which will be hereinafter more fully described. The bight'portion 20 of the ,U- shaped frame 19 extends transversely across the frame B and supportsa bracket 21 which pivotally carries a. T-shaped rod22, the rear-. wardly extending leg of which supports the operators seat 23. The outer ends of the arms of the T-shaped rod 22 havesuitable links '24 connected thereto which extend toward the forward end of the machine.

The bars 10 adjacent to their forward ends carry suitable bearings 25 in which are mounted vertically disposed shafts 26 the lower ends of which carry the gauge wheels side bars 10 intermediate their ends and ad- 2'7. The upper ends of the shafts 26 carry I the crank arms 28 and these crank arms have attached thereto the connecting rods 24.

Thus it can be seen that byswinging the seat 23 the gauge wheels 27 can be swung .so as to guide the machine and'hold the same in correct alignment with the row of beets being harvested.

. As stated, the U-shaped frame 19 forms a part of the beet pulling mechanism C and the legs of the U-shaped frame gradually.

converge toward their lower ends as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 5 of the drawings. The terminals of the legs of the U-shaped frame 19 have feet 29 formed thereon which have bolted or otherwisesecured thereto the puller bars 30. The pulling bars 30 are inclined upwardly and rearwardly, so that v the bars eilgage the beets the same will be gradually raised out of the ground without bruising the beets in any .wa-y whats'oever. The forwardlower ends of the pulling bars or vplows gradually diverge so that if the beets are not in direct alignment, the bars or plows will guide the, same toward the central portion, thereof. The forward ends .ef the piilling bars or points are sharpened and tapered as at 31. p ,7 a 4 I Th elevating echani'sin D for the beets lower fraine which consists of re ardly andd'ownwardly extendingside b rs 33, which are strapped or otherwise se cared to the1egs of the lJ -isiha' ed frame 19 adjacent to their lower ends. The side bars .33 carry at their lower ends a shaft 34 "and this shaft is located directly in rear of and fdsli'ghtly from the pulling bars 30.

, shaft 35!: adjacent to its terminals is provided with sprocket wheels 35 which are in direct alignment with sprocket wheels carried an iippei sliaf-t 36, wh ch is lm'o'uhte d in suitable bearings 37 earned by the longitudinally extending side bars 10. The aligned sprocketg'ears receive the drive sprocket chains 38 which form a portion of the endless conveyor; bel'tq39 which is used forfelev ating t he beets. The chains 38 are "eenneeted transversely extending slats 40 and certain of these slats carry flights or the like [41 for preventing slipping of the beets "ongthe belt. I p

Thefmea ns E for receiving the beets from the puller C and throwing the same on the conveying mechanism D are arranged intera 425. This shaft 435 extends directly above and in rear of the pulling bars 30 and has mounted thereon a plurality "of radially "extending rong-s or teeth 46 which are ground.

large sprocket wheels 16 carried by the ground wheels 15. The sprocket wheels a9 and 16 have trained around the same drive sprocket chains 5O. The shaft 417 has also keyed thereto a sprocket wheel 51, which is in direct alignment with a sprocket wheel 52 keyed to a stub shaft 53 which is rotatably mounted in a bearing 47. This stub shaft 53 has keyed thereto a gear wheel 53 which is in mesh wit-ha gear wheel 5-1 keyed to the shaft 36 which supports the upper end of the conveyor belt 39, Thus it will be seen that when the machine is in motion power will be transmitted from the ground wheels to the "shaft 36 for operating the endless belt 39. The 'U-sl'iaped frame supports a pair of superposed transve'r's'elvf'extending shafts 55 and 56 and the uppermost shaft 55 has keyed thereto afsprocket wheel which is in alignment with a sprocket wheel carried by the counter shafts? and these sprocket wheels have trained around the same a sprocket chain 57. The shaft 55 has keyed thereto a gear whe'el 58 which is in mesh with a gear wheel 59 keyed to "the lower shaft 56. The lower shaft 56 has keyed thereto a sprocket wheel which is in direct alignment with a sprocket wheel keyed on to the shaft 16 carried by the side bars 44, and these sprocket wheels, have trained around the same "a "drive sprocket chain 60. Thus it willb'je seen that when the machine is in motion the power will be transmitted 'from the ground wheels 15 "to the lower shaft 46 for driving "the beet receiving and throwing mechanism E. I

In operation 'of the improved beet har-,

vester, the same is "driven tothe 'field, where if the beets are to be harvested and the pulling bars 30 are forced int'o the ground. The machine is then started and as the inclined bars 30 engage the beets, the samewill a be gradually pulled upwardly from, the As soon as. the same reach the up per ends of the inclined bars the "outwardly extending teeth or prongs 4-6 will stick into the same and throw the beets rear'wardly on to the upper surface of the endless belt 39 which will carrythe same to a beet dumping and collecting mechanism. When it -is necessary to guide the machine so as to hold the same in direct alignment with the beets being harvested it is merely necessary to move the "seat 23 which will operate the cranks 28 for rotating the shafts 26 for turning the guide wheels 27. Owing to the means of connecting the beet receiving and throwing mechanism with the drive wheels 15 the same will be rotated at a relatively high rate of. speed so that sufficient momentum will be given to the beets for throwing the same on the conveyor mechanism.

From the foregoing description, it can be seen that an exceptionally simple beet harvester has been provided which will perform the service intended in a durable and efficient manner.

Changes in details may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention; but,

l/Ve claim:

1. In a beet harvesting device, a frame, a pair of ground wheels for the frame, a depending U-shaped frame secured to the supporting frame, a pair of inclined pulling bars carried by the lower terminals of the U-shaped frame, an elevating mechanism carried by the supporting frame and including an endless belt and supporting shafts therefor, a second depending U-shaped frame carried by the supporting frame, side bars carried by the terminals of the second U-shaped frame, a rotatable shaft carried by the side bars, arcuate penetrating teeth carried by the shaft and extending radially therefrom, said shaft being arranged intermediate the pulling bars and the conveyor belt, and means for operatively connecting the ground wheels with the conveyor belt supporting shafts and with the rotatable shaft carried by the side bars.

2. In a beet harvester, a supporting frame, ground wheels carried by the frame, relatively large drive sprocket wheels carried by the ground wheels, a downwardly and forward y extending U-shaped frame carried by the supporting frame, pulling plow bars carried by the terminals of the U-shaped frame, rearwardly and downwardly inclined side bars carried by the U-shaped frame, a cross shaft carried by the side bars, an upper cross shaft carried by the supporting frame, sprocket wheels secured to the shafts, drive sprocket chains trained around said sprocket wheels, transversely extending slats connecting said sprocket chains, a second depending U-shaped frame carried by the supporting frame in advance of the first U-shaped frame, said U-shaped frames being connected together adjacent to their lower ends, forwardly extending side bars carried by the terminals of the second mentioned U-shaped frame, a rotatable shaft carried by the last mentioned side bars, arcuate radially extending penetrating prongs carried by the rotatable shaft, a counter-shaft carried by the supporting frame, sprocket wheels keyed to the terminals of the counter-shaft, drive chains trained around the sprocket wheels carried by the counter-shaft and the drive wheels, a pair of transversely extending shafts carried by the second mentioned U-shaped frame, means operatively connecting the shafts together, means operatively connecting the uppermost shaft with the counter shaft, means operatively connecting the lowermost shaft with the shaft carrying the penetrating prongs, and means operatively connecting the uppermost supporting shaft for the conveyor belt chains with the counter-shaft.

3. In a harvesting device, a main frame, a forwardly and downwardly extending supplemental frame carried by the main frame, a pair of pulling bars carried by the lower end of the supplemental frame, an inclined elevating mechanism arranged in rear of and above and in spaced relation to the pulling bars, downwardly and forwardly inclined side bars arranged intermediate the supplemental frame and the elevating mechanism and in substantially parallel relation to the supplemental frame, clamps for adjustably holding the side bars in position, and a rotatable vegetable receiving and throwing mechanism carried by the side bars.

1. In a harvesting device, 'a supporting frame, ground wheels carried by the frame, a downwardly and forwardly extending U-shaped frame carried by the supporting frame, pulling side bars carried by the terminals of the U-shaped frame, rearwardly inclined side bars arranged on opposite sides of the U-shaped frame, clamps engaging the side bars and the U-shaped frame, a cross shaft carried by the side bars, an upper cross shaft carried by the supporting frame,

sprocket wheels secured to the shafts, an.

elevating belt carried by the sprocket wheels,

the cross shaft carried by the side bars being arranged above the surface of the ground,

and in rear of and in spaced relation to the upper rear terminals of the plow bars, and a second depending U-shaped frame arranged intermediate the first' mentioned U-shaped frame and the elevating belt, adjustable clamps for securing the second U-shaped frame in operative position in relation to the beet pulling bars and the elevating belt, a shaft carried by the second mentioned U-shaped frame, and a plurality of radially extending longitudinally spaced fingers carried by the last mentioned shaft. CLARENCE L. GREENING. CHARLES W. GrREENINGc. 

